Action research Evidence-based Practice in Psychology Principle Case Study Experimentation Quasi-experimental Studies Correlations Hypothesis/Hypotheses Random Descriptive Studies Microgenetic studies Reflective Differentiated Instruction Negative Correlation Single-subject experimental studies Educational Psychology Participant Observation Statistically Significant Empirical Participants/Subjects Teachers' sense of efficacy Ethnography Positive Correlation Theory
While this chapter does not feature any significant theorists, it introduces the idea of theory, hypothesis, and evidenced-based psychology. See theory, hypothesis, and EBPP reiterated below.
Theory: Integrated statement of principles that attempts to explain a phenomenon and make predictions.
Hypothesis/hypotheses: A prediction of what will happen in a research study based on theory and previous research.
Evidenced-based practice in psychology (EBPP): Practices that integrate the best available research with the insights of expert practitioners and knowledge of the characteristics, culture, and preferences of the client. (American Psychological Association)
Part One:
Classrooms in America today can contain the most racially, socially, and physically diverse crowd. It is important for both beginning and seasoned educators to understand the vast backgrounds and social contexts their students stem from. It is equally important to understand one's impact as a teacher, a mentor, or any professional in the public or private school systems.
Part Two:
A teacher's belief that he or she can reach even difficult students to help them learn creates a safe and thriving classroom ripe for success. The idea of 'good teaching' consists of proper expectations paired with confident and proactive teaching styles from the educator. Each classroom will present a different group of students, and therefore, a different set of opportunities. Proper research, knowledge, and experience will help the teacher turn these 'problems', 'set-backs', or 'difficulties' in the opportunities and success stories across classrooms nationwide.
Among these theories is the idea of a teachers sense of efficacy, found on page 5 in the textbook. It is defines as the belief and confidence of a teacher that they can connect with the students to make them successful, even reaching the difficult to reach students. There confidence lies in themselves as teachers and in their students as well. This is a part of "good teaching" because good teachers have as sense of efficacy and try to reach every student to help the succeed.
Part Three:
As the text directly states, for as long as education has existed, there have been theorists debating what it actually is. What is teaching? How does one teach? Does a person's past experience dictate the outcome of a classroom? What should the teacher/student relationship consist of? Will every classroom be equally as successful with the same teacher every year? Are big classrooms more beneficial than smaller ones? Educational Psychology seeks to give answers to these questions. Through research, experiments, and documentation, various theories exist to explain different dynamics inside and outside of the classroom. Educational psychology is a vast ocean that serves to be a good foundation to build upon.
Classrooms are diverse today. The state and national government have enforced rules and regulations hoping to provide adequate education for all children. Do these policies cater to each child despite their differing race, economic status, or home life? How can we, as educators, abide by the rules while acknowledging such a diverse classroom?
Concept Two: Good Teaching
There are tools for success each teacher has opportunity to take and learn. The idea of 'good teaching' may be a subjective one; however, there are countless stories, testimonies, and proven theories that make a teacher successful.
Concept Three: Distinguishing Principle vs. Theory
Principles are factors found within a research situation. These principles can be offered in forming theories based on an experiment performed.
Practical Applications: Idea One:
Get to know the teachers in your building. Oftentimes, different teachers will have different skill sets that they are willing to offer to the people around them. See your building as a community of learning and be quick to offer your strength and service to the teachers around you. Be considerate of their length of employment, age, and personal ideas, but don't ignore the tools you have in the people you are working with.
Idea Two:
Make it a point to attend sporting events, math contests, and local restaurants. Being a face to your students outside the classroom can do many things. First, it will help them connect to you on a deeper level. Second, it will allow you to observe their surroundings, environment, culture, and life outside of your classroom. Be attentive to what you see and connect their interests and culture to your lessons inside the classroom.
Licensure Exam (Connect and Extend to Praxis II):
Connection One: Teacher Professionalism (page 8)
Begin your own development by reading educational publications. One widely read periodical is Education Week. You can access it online at www.edweek.com.
Connection Two: Teacher Professionalism (page 11)
Your professional growth relies on your becoming a member of a community of practice. The national organizations listen here have hundreds of affiliations and chapters across the country with regular conferences, conventions, and meetings to advance instruction in their areas. Take a look at their websites to get a feel for their approaches to issues related to professionalism.
Application One: Research Guided Education
Should research be scientific with education reforms based on solid evidence? Or are experiments not the only or even the best source of evidence?
Application Two: History of Educational Policies
What has the history of educational reform looked like? Does its progress coincide with success within the classroom? Are the current views, policies, and procedures benefitting the present-day classroom?
Rebecca Rodriguez just graduated college, obtained her teaching license, and has been offered a job at West County Lake Middle School. She is thrilled and spends the summer preparing her classroom, lesson plans, and getting to know her children's bios and special needs. Which of the following is not a challenge she is apt to encounter in her first year of teaching?
a. A very racially diverse classroom.
b. A science fair winner, an illiterate child, and a child olympic-athlete all in the same classroom.
c. No support from the community or her school to keep her children safe in the classroom.
d. A child with lice.
Ohio Department of Education
This website will feature the laws, regulations, and current events particular to the state of Ohio. This website also provides avenues to renew your teaching license, take state-mandated tests, and even find a job!
Table of Contents
Chapter Outline
Key Terms
Action researchEvidence-based Practice in Psychology
Principle
Case Study
Experimentation
Quasi-experimental Studies
Correlations
Hypothesis/Hypotheses
Random
Descriptive Studies
Microgenetic studies
Reflective
Differentiated Instruction
Negative Correlation
Single-subject experimental studies
Educational Psychology
Participant Observation
Statistically Significant
Empirical
Participants/Subjects
Teachers' sense of efficacy
Ethnography
Positive Correlation
Theory
Test your knowledge here:
Vocabulary Test
(back to top)
Key Theorists
While this chapter does not feature any significant theorists, it introduces the idea of theory, hypothesis, and evidenced-based psychology. See theory, hypothesis, and EBPP reiterated below.
Theory: Integrated statement of principles that attempts to explain a phenomenon and make predictions.
Hypothesis/hypotheses: A prediction of what will happen in a research study based on theory and previous research.
Evidenced-based practice in psychology (EBPP): Practices that integrate the best available research with the insights of expert practitioners and knowledge of the characteristics, culture, and preferences of the client. (American Psychological Association)
(back to top)
Summary of Chapter
Part One:Classrooms in America today can contain the most racially, socially, and physically diverse crowd. It is important for both beginning and seasoned educators to understand the vast backgrounds and social contexts their students stem from. It is equally important to understand one's impact as a teacher, a mentor, or any professional in the public or private school systems.
Part Two:
A teacher's belief that he or she can reach even difficult students to help them learn creates a safe and thriving classroom ripe for success. The idea of 'good teaching' consists of proper expectations paired with confident and proactive teaching styles from the educator. Each classroom will present a different group of students, and therefore, a different set of opportunities. Proper research, knowledge, and experience will help the teacher turn these 'problems', 'set-backs', or 'difficulties' in the opportunities and success stories across classrooms nationwide.
Among these theories is the idea of a teachers sense of efficacy, found on page 5 in the textbook. It is defines as the belief and confidence of a teacher that they can connect with the students to make them successful, even reaching the difficult to reach students. There confidence lies in themselves as teachers and in their students as well. This is a part of "good teaching" because good teachers have as sense of efficacy and try to reach every student to help the succeed.
Part Three:
As the text directly states, for as long as education has existed, there have been theorists debating what it actually is. What is teaching? How does one teach? Does a person's past experience dictate the outcome of a classroom? What should the teacher/student relationship consist of? Will every classroom be equally as successful with the same teacher every year? Are big classrooms more beneficial than smaller ones? Educational Psychology seeks to give answers to these questions. Through research, experiments, and documentation, various theories exist to explain different dynamics inside and outside of the classroom. Educational psychology is a vast ocean that serves to be a good foundation to build upon.
(back to top)
Key Concepts
Concept One: Classrooms TodayClassrooms are diverse today. The state and national government have enforced rules and regulations hoping to provide adequate education for all children. Do these policies cater to each child despite their differing race, economic status, or home life? How can we, as educators, abide by the rules while acknowledging such a diverse classroom?
Concept Two: Good Teaching
There are tools for success each teacher has opportunity to take and learn. The idea of 'good teaching' may be a subjective one; however, there are countless stories, testimonies, and proven theories that make a teacher successful.
Concept Three: Distinguishing Principle vs. Theory
Principles are factors found within a research situation. These principles can be offered in forming theories based on an experiment performed.
(back to top)
Application for Teachers
Practical Applications:Idea One:
Get to know the teachers in your building. Oftentimes, different teachers will have different skill sets that they are willing to offer to the people around them. See your building as a community of learning and be quick to offer your strength and service to the teachers around you. Be considerate of their length of employment, age, and personal ideas, but don't ignore the tools you have in the people you are working with.
Idea Two:
Make it a point to attend sporting events, math contests, and local restaurants. Being a face to your students outside the classroom can do many things. First, it will help them connect to you on a deeper level. Second, it will allow you to observe their surroundings, environment, culture, and life outside of your classroom. Be attentive to what you see and connect their interests and culture to your lessons inside the classroom.
Licensure Exam (Connect and Extend to Praxis II):
Connection One:Teacher Professionalism (page 8)
Begin your own development by reading educational publications. One widely read periodical is Education Week. You can access it online at www.edweek.com.
Connection Two:
Teacher Professionalism (page 11)
Your professional growth relies on your becoming a member of a community of practice. The national organizations listen here have hundreds of affiliations and chapters across the country with regular conferences, conventions, and meetings to advance instruction in their areas. Take a look at their websites to get a feel for their approaches to issues related to professionalism.
National Council of Teachers of English
International Reading Association
National Science Teachers Association
National Council for the Social Studies
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
(back to top)
Applications for Content
Application One:Research Guided Education
Should research be scientific with education reforms based on solid evidence? Or are experiments not the only or even the best source of evidence?
Application Two:
History of Educational Policies
What has the history of educational reform looked like? Does its progress coincide with success within the classroom? Are the current views, policies, and procedures benefitting the present-day classroom?
(back to top)
Multimedia Learning Material
- Education Theorists: RSA
Education Paradigm- "Every Kid Needs a Champion": Rita Pierson
A Message for Teachers(back to top)
POOT Forums
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Test Your Knowledge
- Rebecca Rodriguez just graduated college, obtained her teaching license, and has been offered a job at West County Lake Middle School. She is thrilled and spends the summer preparing her classroom, lesson plans, and getting to know her children's bios and special needs. Which of the following is not a challenge she is apt to encounter in her first year of teaching?
a. A very racially diverse classroom.b. A science fair winner, an illiterate child, and a child olympic-athlete all in the same classroom.
c. No support from the community or her school to keep her children safe in the classroom.
d. A child with lice.
(back to top)
Teacher Resources
United States Department of EducationStay in touch with all of the latest political reforms, laws, and provisions being made for educators today.
Ohio Department of Education
This website will feature the laws, regulations, and current events particular to the state of Ohio. This website also provides avenues to renew your teaching license, take state-mandated tests, and even find a job!
(back to top)
Top-Rated Student Generated Files
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